[thelist] Lost Linux Pass

[Garrett Coakley]

On Wed, 14 Nov 2001 18:23:13 -0500
Frank <framar at interlog.com> wrote:

 
> Oy! I think I may have screwed myself. I'm running RedHat Linux 6.x 
> and for some reason my password seems to have disappeared. Recently 
> my cable provider has forced me to move from a static IP to a dynamic 
> one, which *may* have something to do with it.

Unlikely. In fact pretty much impossible. How you access the machine
will have no effect on how that machine asks for authentication.

What do you mean "password seems to have disappeared"? You're getting
this?

Login: itsmeyoufool
Password: Shhhhh
Login Incorrect

Have you checked the obvious like Caps-Lock and Num-Lock?


> Not having direct, physical access to the server ($500 access fee + 
> travel + downtime costs) I need to recupe my password, or at least 
> change it to something where I can regain root access. 

If you had console (ie: physical access) to the machine then you could
just reboot it with a startup disk/cd and at the boot prompt issue a
"linux 1" to boot into single user mode and change the password from
there.

But, you don't. The fact that you're accessing the machine via SSH
suggests that it's pretty locked down. To (un)ethically break back into
it you're looking at stuff you really don't want to get into. Things
like server exploits, rootkits and trojans etc.

Just 'fess up to the team, swallow that big ball o' pride, put this one
down to experience. Happens to all of us at some point *:)

G.

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